With Hurricane season less than a month away and severe storms always a possibility, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, its National Weather Service, Sea Grant programs and other line offices reminds you to make sure you are ready for whatever comes your way tomorrow. What are you and your family doing to get ready for the possibility of severe weather? See this post's photo for more on how you can be better prepared.

Also, NOAA's National Sea Grant College Program continues its 50th Anniversary look back over five decades of bringing science to America's shores. This past month, the focus was on the Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, which has been building graduate students into coastal leaders for more than 40 years.

New York Sea Grant continued its commemoration of the year-long anniversary campaign by featuring some related coastal effort milestones - both statewide and nationally - on its blog, www.nyseagrant.org/blog.

Also: Registration is open for the Long Island Sound Research Conference, which will be held in Bridgeport, CT on May 13th: http://ow.ly/10FT30.

(2) Although National Drug Take-Back Day was Saturday, April 30, we offer helpful tips to help you safely clean out your medicine cabinet this Spring while also being mindful of our local waters: http://ow.ly/4nfYWB.

Also: For more on ways you can make April 22nd's "Earth Day" everyday, check out our "Green Tips for Coastal Living," www.nyseagrant.org/greentips.

(3) Pitch in w/ us and The Long Island Sound Study (LISS) throughout the year. There'll be plenty of volunteer opportunities in New York and Connecticut: http://ow.ly/4mWPZO.

(4) Our traveling "Great Shipwrecks of NY’s ‘Great’ Lakes" exhibit's panels and maps are currently making an appearance at The State University of New York Gallery in Albany, NY through May 27, 2016: http://ow.ly/4mJfXm.

(5) Take a look back with us on over a dozen projects from 2015 in a series of short impact statements. The key focus areas for these projects range from community resiliency to coastal storm events and supporting healthy New York coastal ecosystems and economies: http://ow.ly/4n9nnh.

And for more on the impacts of our Sea Grant specialists and funded researchers in New York's Great Lakes and marine waters through the years, check out www.nyseagrant.org/successstories.

(6) Limited registration is currently open for a four-day Great Lakes regional seafood workshop (May 9-12): http://ow.ly/10oVB8.

(1) U.S. & GLOBAL CLIMATE >>> According to the April 2016 U.S. Climate Report (http://1.usa.gov/1YaIhlZ), a warm April contributed to the second warmest year-to-date for the contiguous United States. Alaska also continued to experience record warmth. #‎StateOfClimate

Also: According to the March 2016 Global Climate Report (http://1.usa.gov/1ShIGnX), the temperature across global land and ocean surfaces for March 2016 was the highest for March since record keeping began in 1880. It was also the highest monthly temperature departure among all months on record.

(3) U.S. DROUGHT >>> According to the May 3, 2016 U.S. Drought Monitor (http://1.usa.gov/23s6ndo), moderate to exceptional drought covers 14.6% of the contiguous United States, a decrease from last week’s 15.4%. The worst drought categories (extreme to exceptional drought) held steady at 3.4% for a third week. ?#‎DroughtMonitor?

(4) EARTH DAY >>> From protecting our waterways to reducing overfishing, NOAA has made a lot of progress since 1970. Take a look at five big wins in the 46 years since the first ?#‎EarthDay?: http://ow.ly/4nvlcI. Also: The first Earth Day: http://ow.ly/4nvls7.

(5) SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD >>> You’ve heard about the benefits sustainable seafood yields for our oceans and our economy. But did you know that sound science and smart management are key to eliminating unsustainable practices and ending overfishing?: http://ow.ly/4nvnEo.

(6) MARINE DEBRIS >>> The Great Pacific #‎GarbagePatch is one of many areas in the ocean where marine debris naturally concentrates because of ocean currents: http://ow.ly/4nvlIM.

(7) FLOODING >>> This video on how to drive when faced with a flooding issue illustrates the necessary decision-process: It's simple and it could save your life: Turn Around Don't Drown: http://ow.ly/4nvmvG.

(9) CITIZEN SCIENCE >>> Does logging local weather conditions or surveying whales interest you? Take a look at some of NOAA's more popular citizen science opportunities at http://bit.ly/NOAACitizenSci and then search for more in the federal-wide #‎CitSci Catalog at https://ccsinventory.wilsoncenter.org (Search with keyword “NOAA” under Agency Sponsor to find both local and national programs eager for your help.)